Buckle



July 29, 1952 R GARDNER 25604 682 BUCKLE Filed Oct. 3. 1947 INVENTOR. ROBERT GARDNER ATTORIVE Y.

Patented July 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE BUCKLE I Robert Gardner, Milwaukee, Wis. Application October 3,1947, SerialNo.777,69 1

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to improvements in buckles and more particularly to a type of buckle that is commonly referred to as a cross-line buckle used in combination with belts or garment supports, incorporating a free strap end.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device that is adjustable without the necessity of disengaging the strap.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device that is light in weight, serviceable for the purpose intended, readily adjustable, simple in construction and attractive in appearance.

It is manifest to anyone familar with the use of belt or garment buckles that appearance and strength as well as ease of manipulation and manufacture are imperative. The device described herein incorporates all of these features and may be easily manufactured at a nominal cost.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the buckle as applied to a free end strap.

Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the device.

Figure 3 is a top or plan view of a modified form of construction in which the buckle is made of wire of circular cross-section in place of stampings.

Figure 4. is a side view of the device as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side view of the device as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the device shown in Figure 2. taken at the line 66 in Figure 2, and

Figure '7 is a side view of the device as shown in Figure 3 with the strap member assembled therewith.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views and by referring to the drawings, it will be noted that the device consists of a base member and a tongue member. These two parts, when assembled, constitute a unit which acts as a buckle. The parts may be constructed of stampings as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 6, or they may be constructed of wire, formed as shownin Figs. 3, 5, and 7, the function being the same, whether stampings or wire parts are employed.

In Figs. 2, 4, and 6, the base member is designated by the character [0 and the tongue member by the character I I. The base I0 is provided with upwardly extending members l2 and I3 which are equipped with longitudinal slots I4, and the rearward end of the base In is equipped with a transverse slot 15 while the forward end of the base is equipped with an elongated aperture lb. The rearward end of the base [0 has a member I! acting as a support for the strap or belt shown as I8, which is folded back onto itself and stitched as shown at I9 in Fig. 1. Obviously, the belt may be riveted instead of stitched as it passes through the transverse slot [5 as shown in Fig. '7. The tongue member II as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 6 which is used in combination with the stamped base I 0 is constructed of sheet metal having downwardly disposed members 20 and 2| equipped with engaging members 22 and 23 for engaging with the slots I 4 in the members l2 and I3. The forward end of the tongue H is provided with a downwardly disposed member 24 which has a right angle portion 25 for engagement with the aperture It in the base III. This will permit engagement of the top of the portion 25 with the bottom of the base as shown at 26 in Fig. 6 when the engaging members 22 and 23 are forwardly disposed within the slots M. The belt l8 being provided with apertures 21 must pass between the base In and the tongue member I l and the downwardly disposed member 24 must pass through one of these apertures 21 in the belt [8 as shown in the perspective View Fig. 1.

In Figs. 3, 5, and 7, I show the device constructed of wire, in which the base 28 is of a U-shaped contour provided with a cross member 29 having outwardly projecting ends 30 and 3|. The tongue member 32 also constructed of wire has a transverse member 33 equipped with elongated loops 34 and 35 at its outer ends, into which the ends 30 and 3| are slidably disposed. The forward end of the tongue 32 has a downwardly disposed member 36 with a right angle portion 31 for engagement with the forward bar 28' forming a part of the base 28. Obviously, the cross member 29 acts as a support for the belt l8 which is looped around it the same as around the member I! in the stamped base, and the member 36 extends through the apertures 21 in the belt l8 for contact with the bottom of the bar 28' when the ends 30 and 3| are moved forward within the loops 34 and 35.

While I have shown a particular construction and arrangement of the parts constituting the device, I am fully cognizant of the fact that many changes in the form and configuration of these component parts may be made without effecting the operativeness of the device, and I reserve the right to make such changes as I may deem necessary or convenient without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

A device of the character described to be used in combination with a belt provided with a plurality of apertures, said device consisting of a frame member, a top member, said frame member having angularly and upwardly disposed side members provided with elongated closed slots therein, a tongue member provided with outwardly projecting members for engagement with the slots in said frame members, a tongue extending downward from said tongue member, an aperture in said frame, saidtongue. aligned for engagement with the aperture in said frame, an angularly disposed engaging member at the hottom of said tongue, said engaging member engaging the bottom of said frame when said tongue is forced through the apertures in said belt and frame, and means for attaching one end of said strap to said frame.

ROBERT GARDNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

